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Body of Oakdale man found in state park, months after his disappearance

Just before Thanksgiving, a pair of hunters walking along the Wisconsin side of the St. Croix River found the remains of an Oakdale man who had been missing for more than three months.

Vue Her, who was 49 years old when he went missing, was found near the river bottoms of Interstate State Park the morning of Nov. 21, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. The cause of his death has not yet been determined.

Her had been kayaking the St. Croix River in July when he somehow was separated from his boat.

The Chisago County Sheriff’s office released a statement in July, stating it received a report of a found kayak the evening of July 12, and upon investigation, deputies discovered the boat pulled up on shore on the Wisconsin side of the river north of Rock Island.

A tackle box and keys were still inside the kayak, but two fishing poles were missing, and Her was not found in the area. The keys were for Her’s vehicle, which was found parked at Interstate Park in Taylors Falls.

Her’s family filed a missing person report with the Oakdale Police Department that same day.

On July 13, a search was conducted by boat, ground and air from about 6:30 a.m. until about 11 p.m., but Her was not found until late November.

Just before 10:45 a.m. Nov. 21, the Polk County Sheriff’s Department received a call about a human body located off County Road S, north of 113th Avenue in Interstate State Park.

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, investigators were unable to identify the body at the scene, but noted it had been there “for some period of time.”

The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office in Anoka County later identified the body as Her.